Perinatal inflammation relates to early respiratory morbidity and lung function at 12 years of age in children born very preterm

Abstract

Very preterm birth may be associated with lung function impairment later in life. It is not known if this is caused by prematurity per se or by associated perinatal events, such as maternal–foetal inflammation and severity of early neonatal lung disease. We assessed these factors in a prospective cohort of very preterm infants followed from birth to middle school age.